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Brief History. The Portuguese arrived in the central African region intent on expanding their slave trading interests, but Portuguese power weakened and the French began to assume supremacy in western Africa. The Congo achieved full independece in 1960, one year after becoming autonomous. The Congo became a People's Republic, with Marxist-Leninist leanings. After a series of government changes, the Congo took steps towards the formation of a multiparty democracy in 1990. Opposition parties were officially legalized in 1991 with presidential elections in 1992. But in 1997, fighting broke out in the capital when the president tried to have his principal opponent arrested just prior to new elections.

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Country Information

Local name: Congo

Capital: Brazzaville

Population: 3,702,314

Government: republic

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF)

Land size: 342,000 sq km

Topography: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Typical foods:

Major exports: petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Information on the People

Official language: French

Other languages spoken: Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)

Religions: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%

Literacy rate: 83.8%

Male/Female Ratio: 0.99 male(s) to every 1 female

Life expectancy: 52.8 years

Ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%

Internet users: 36,000

Famous people:

  

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News From This Region
DR Congo News: Thousands of AIDS victims face death
Tens of thousands of AIDS patients are likely to die for lack of life-saving antiretroviral drugs in the Democratic Republic of Congo. read more

Congo News: FDLR attack kills 26 people
Rwandan FDLR rebels have killed 26 civilians in two separate attacks. Tristan McConnell NAIROBI, Kenya ? You've got to really love killing to still be at it more than 17 years after the attempt to wipe out your ethnically distinct neighbors ? all of them ? failed, but the FDLR are back in the news with yet another atrocity. This time officials in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo say ...

Congo News: Catholic church rejects Congo election results
Catholic bishops call for "peaceful protests" against Congo poll win of Joseph Kabila. Tristan McConnell NAIROBI, Kenya ? Catholic bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo have slammed "serious errors" in recent presidential elections and called on the electoral commission responsible for the shambolic polls to make amends or resign. The church is influential in Congo, and its opinion carries ...

DRC: Etienne Tshisekedi's call for nationwide strike ignored in capital Kinshasa
The indefinite strike, over the results of last November's presidential election, did however lead to shutdowns Monday in some parts of the DRC. read more


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